


The Big Match

by cosmic_llin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Comedy, Early Work, Ensemble Cast, Gen, Quidditch, Rivalry, Unfinished and Discontinued
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-10-16
Updated: 2005-10-15
Packaged: 2017-10-19 20:02:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/204682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmic_llin/pseuds/cosmic_llin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Professor Dumbledore thinks that a Quidditch match against their teachers is just the thing to encourage pupils from different houses to bond. Professor McGonagall isn't convinced, Madam Hooch is tearing her hair out, and certain people won't be pleased when the team list goes up...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is discontinued and WILL NOT be completed.
> 
> Characters do not belong to me, I am making no profit.

Minerva McGonagall stared at the document the headmaster had shown her, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

'Albus, are you quite sure this is a good idea?'

'Oh, yes, perfectly sure, Minerva. Why, don't you agree?'

He looked at her and she faltered.

'Well, I...' she paused, took a breath, then continued, 'Albus, the truth is, I really don't know if we ought to do it. I know you want to encourage solidarity between the Houses and so forth, but do you really think that this is the best way to go about it? Don't you think it might... well, make things worse?'

'Certainly not. What could bring the pupils together in one voice more effectively than a Quidditch match against their teachers?'

McGonagall sighed.

'Well, if you really think so, I suppose I should put this notice on the Gryffindor notice board, then.'

'Thank you, Minerva. I knew you'd see my point of view.'

She headed for the door, muttering under her breath about silly, new-fangled ideas.

'What was that, Minerva?' asked Dumbledore.

'Oh, nothing at all, Albus!' she said, forcing a smile.

'Glad to hear it.'

  


* * *

  


Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in their usual chairs in the Common Room. Harry and Ron were half-heartedly practising their Charms, and Hermione was absorbed in a book so thick that she'd had to ask Fred to lift it onto her lap so that she could read it.

'Harry! Hey, Harry, come look at this!'

Fred beckoned Harry over to the notice board and pointed at the newest item on it.

  


 **Students VS Staff Quidditch Match**

 _A team of students will play a team of teachers and other staff on the weekend preceding_   _the next interhouse_   _match._

 _Teams have not yet been selected, and anyone wishing to try out for the students' team should see Madam Hooch._

 _The day will also include other activites, games and entertainments. Anyone wishing to become involved with this should see Professor Flitwick._

 _  
_

'Huh, well, that's interesting,' said Harry, 'are you going to go for it?'

'Of course,' said George, 'Fred and I are the best men for the job. How about you, Harry, think you'll give it a try?'

'Harry, you're behind on your homework already,' Hermione said without even looking up from her book.

Immediately, Harry was resolved to try out for the team.

'Yeah, I'll try for it,' he said casually, 'should be a laugh, at least.'

'Nice one,' said Ron, 'now what about this homework, mate?'

  


* * *

  


'Oh, come on.  _Somebody_ must want to do it.'

Rolanda Hooch stared despairingly around the Staffroom, where everyone had taken a sudden and intense interest in their cups of tea, the fire, their marking, anything to avoid looking into the eyes of the Quidditch teacher.

'You know, the Headmaster isn't going to like this...' she said, 'he's very excited about this idea and I can't go to him and tell him that the Staff Quidditch team consists of me, flying around trying to do four things at once!'

Still there was no response. Someone cleared their throat quietly and Rolanda's head whipped around to see who had made the sound, but whoever it was evidently didn't want to be discovered. It was time for some desperate measures...

Rolanda Hooch gulped, and burst into tears.

'I...I just want everything to work out!' she sobbed. 'And nobody wants to help and nobody cares that the Headmaster is expecting me to sort everything out, and, and...'

Minerva McGonagall got up and put an arm around the crying Quidditch teacher and with a flick of her wand, conjured a handkerchief to offer her.

'Come on now, Rolanda, I'm sorry. We didn't realise how important this was to you. I'm sure there are enough people who would like to do it, they just need a bit of encouragement.'

'Will  _you_  do it, Minerva?' Rolanda asked, with a sniff.

'Well, I...'

'I'd be  _so_  much happier knowing you were on the team... Please will you do it? For me?'

'Well, since it means so much to you, I suppose I could try. But Rolanda, I haven't played for a very long time!'

'I know, it's alright, I'm sure you'll be brilliant. Thank you so much, Minerva! But, oh, that's still only two of us...'

She gazed imploringly at the rest of the staff, tears still glistening in her yellow eyes. She blinked.

'Well, I don't suppose I'd be much good, but I'd be glad to help out,' said Professor Lupin, with a kind smile.

'Oh, Remus, that's wonderful! You were the best Beater Hogwarts had for many a year...'

Professor Snape's head snapped up at that, and he looked from Lupin to Hooch, as if he was unsure who to scowl at first.

'I was a Beater too, Rolanda, if you recall,' he said with studied indifference, 'if there really is nobody else, I suppose I could take part, although it's obviously an inconvenience...'

'Thank you, Severus, I appreciate it,' said Rolanda, 'anyone else?'

'I'd be happy to help,' said Professor Flitwick, 'but you know me, I can't fly for toffee. I'd need a bit of coaching.'

'I'm sure that can be arranged,' said Rolanda, 'Pomona, how about you? I seem to recall you were a pretty good Keeper before you started messing around with plants instead of turning up to practice...'

'Ooh, alright then!' said Professor Sprout, 'I suppose it might be fun, at that.'

'So now we just need one more,' said Rolanda, 'any takers?'

There was silence, but this time she didn't really mind. There would be plenty of time to find the final member of the team tomorrow. She had what she wanted for now. She smirked, no sign now of the tears of the moment before.

  


* * *

  


It was breakfast time the next day. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in the Great Hall. Ron was stabbing at his egg as though there was something wrong with it, and Hermione was watching with bemused interest.

'Here comes trouble...' said Harry quietly, and the other two looked up to see Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle approaching on their way out of the Great Hall.

'Morning, Potter,' said Draco with a sneer, 'trying out for the new Quidditch team? I wouldn't bother, if I were you. I've got the Seeker position in the bag...'

Harry glared at him but didn't say anything, since this was merely a variation Malfoy's usual morning greeting. He was, in fact, intending to go and see Madam Hooch about the team after breakfast. He wasn't too worried. Surely she wouldn't choose Malfoy over him?

'He should get a haircut,' remarked Hermione absently as Malfoy walked away.

'Do you think there's a chance of Malfoy getting on the team, Harry?' asked Ron.

'I dunno,' said Harry, not wanting to sound too confident, 'I suppose it depends what Madam Hooch thinks.'

'Why should it matter what Madam Hooch thinks?' asked Hermione.

'Well, she is picking the team, isn't she?' said Harry.

'I shouldn't think so.'

'Well, that's what the poster said!' said Ron.

'No,' said Hermione patiently, 'the poster said that you should go and  _see_ Madam Hooch if you want to join the team,  _not_ that she would actually choose the team. I mean, I imagine she'll be on the staff team, so it wouldn't be very fair, would it? I expect she's just organising the selection, not actually doing it.'

Harry and Ron stared at Hermione.

'You've got a point,' said Harry, 'I wonder how the teams will be picked, then?'

Hermione shrugged.

'What, no idea at all?' asked Ron, grinning. 'That's not like you...'

'Ronald, I'm not  _psychic_ ,' Hermione said, 'just very, very knowledgeable. And now you've got egg on your robes - honestly! Come here.'

She proceeded to grab Ron's robes and perform a cleaning charm on them, while he shrugged embarrassedly at Harry. After a moment, Harry got up to go and see Madam Hooch.

  


* * *

 

Rolanda Hooch sighed. All day, her office had been full of students trying to get into the Quidditch team. A lot of them seemed to have the silly idea that she was actually going to choose who made the team, and as a result she had received rather a lot of... gifts. The first had been a large basket of orchids from Draco Malfoy. The card said it was to thank her for being such a wonderful Quidditch teacher over the years. The orchids were very nice, as were all the other flowers, the chocolates, the brightly-coloured scarves and special Quidditch gloves, tins of broom wax and bristle repair kits. But were the pupils really so stupid that they thought she would take bribes? Or even that she would be choosing the team in the first place...

Still, it wasn't a bad haul, and at least now she had the list of who wanted to try out for the team. All of the members of the House teams had put their names down, as well as quite a few others, some of whom she knew for a fact couldn't even stay on a broom while it hovered three feet above the ground. Why they thought they might be in with a chance was a mystery to her, but it wasn't really her problem. Anyway, it would all be sorted out at the tryouts tomorrow evening.

  


* * *

  


All they had been told was that tryouts for the team would take place on the Quidditch pitch that evening, so Harry, the twins and the three Gryffindor Chasers weren't entirely sure what to expect as they walked down through the grounds.

'Isn't Oliver trying out?' Harry asked Angelina as they went.

'Nope,' she said, 'he has some other stuff he's busy with.'

'What other stuff?'

'Never you mind. Just mind you don't forget you're the junior member of this team, my lad.'

Harry rolled his eyes.

When they arrived at the Quidditch pitch, it was full of people wanting to try out. Some of them didn't even have brooms. Once everyone had arrived, Madam Hooch called for silence.

'Welcome to the tryouts for the student team,' she said, 'you will be separated into groups according to which position you are trying for. You will then take part in a number of exercises, during which your performance will be noted by some independent observers. Chasers, over there, please.'

Harry and the other Seekers were sent to a far corner of the pitch. All of the school team Seekers were there, and Malfoy sneered at Harry. Harry glared back out of mere habit - he didn't want to think about Malfoy now. He wanted to concentrate on making the team.

' _SEEKERS, START BY TAKING OFF, MAKING A SHARP CHANGE OF DIRECTION AND THEN LANDING AGAIN,'_ boomed Madam Hooch's magically magnified voice.

But where were these independent observers?

As he took off, they appeared - dozens of birds hovered around them - owls and pigeons and sparrows, some kestrels and a few eagles. Each one had fastened to it a small, glowing stone. Harry guessed that these must be what recorded how well the Seekers did. It was very distracting at first, but soon Harry forgot about the birds, which kept a sensible distance away, and concentrated on the various exercises. He was concentrating so hard that he didn't even pay attention to what the other Seekers did. Finally, Madam Hooch blew her whistle and they all flew back down to the pitch.

'Good flying, everybody,' she said once they had all gathered around, 'the team should be up on your notice boards by this time tomorrow. Good luck, everyone!'

  


* * *

 

'Oh, look, the Staff Team has been announced!' called Hermione, as Harry and Ron stumbled down the stairs into the Common Room. 'My goodness, there's a few on there I wouldn't have expected...'

Ron peered at the list.

'Hmm... Madam Hooch, well, that was a given...Professor Sprout - didn't she used to play years ago? McGonagall? Isn't she a bit old? And I can't picture Flitwick on a broom...'

Harry smiled. 'Hey, Professor Lupin made the team! And...Professor Snape? I didn't know he played. And....and...surely not?'

Ron looked over his shoulder. 'Blimey!'

Hermione peered in to look and tutted loudly. 'Honestly, I don't see why you should be so surprised.'

'But, Hermione, she's so...' Ron began.

'She's so what? Just because she's an intelligent, dignified woman, you assume that she can't play Quidditch?'

'But, Hermione, it's Madam Pince!'

'So?'

'But...Madam Pince...'

'Not seeing your point, Ronald...'

'Well, I bet she can't play anyway,' Ron said grumpily.

Hermione opened her mouth to respond, and Harry started to look for cover, but the argument was cut short when Professor McGonagall entered with a piece of paper and approached the notice board.

'Is that the Student Team sheet, Professor?' asked Harry.

'Indeed it is,' she said, 'and you have nothing to worry about, Potter.'

She smiled at him as she pinned it up, and sure enough, his name was in the box marked 'Seeker'. He grinned, trying not to feel too smug, and watched Professor McGonagall leave. Then he looked again at the sheet.

'Oh, that's not good...' he said.

Ron and Hermione looked over his shoulder.

'They're not going to like that much,' Ron said with a deep frown.

'Let's get out of here before they find out,' suggested Harry.

The three of them darted up to the dormitories to avoid the wrath that would inevitable descend once certain people saw the team list.


	2. Chapter 2

Ron and Harry hurried into the dormitory and went to sit on their beds. 

'You know, this is a pretty cowardly thing to do...' said Harry. 

'Well, do you really want to be there when they find out about the team list? Because I for one...' 

Ron was cut off by a roar of anger from the common room. He and Harry exchanged nervous glances. There was a pause, then a brief exchange of raised voices, and then they heard footsteps thundering up the stairs towards the dormitories. 

A few moments later, Fred and George slammed in. George was waving the team list in his fist, and both twins were bright red. 

'Did you know about this? Harry? DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS?' 

'I... I only just found out...' Harry stammered. 

'They can't do this to us!' Fred cried. 

'It's inhuman!' added George. 

'It's unfair!' 

'It's ridiculous!' 

'What were they thinking?' 

'How could they put Fred on the team and not me? How?!' 

Both Fred and George sat heavily on Ron's bed, staring at the team list in George's hand, somewhat crumpled now. 

'It's not right,' agreed Harry. 

'Bang out of order,' Ron said. 

'They're crazy to split you up,' said Harry. 

'But, when you think about it,' said Ron, 'if you had both been on the team, that would mean there were three Gryffindors, and everyone would have complained.' 

'So?' demanded George. 

'Well, it is supposed to be encouraging the Houses to mix...' 

Both twins glowered at Ron. 

'Hey, I'm not saying I agree, that's just the way some people could see it,' said Ron. 

'Well, they can stuff their Quidditch match, I didn't really want to play anyway,' said George, 'and Fred won't go on the team without me, will you?' 

There was silence from Fred. He seemed to be inspecting Ron's quilt in minute detail. 

'Fred...' said George, warningly. 

'Look, just because we play Quidditch together normally doesn't mean we always have to...' 

'But we do everything together! That's what twins means! How can you do it without me?' 

'I just think it would be a laugh, that's all. We'll still be playing together in all the Interhouse matches.' 

'I can't believe this. I honestly can't believe this... what happened to brotherly solidarity? What happened to loyalty?!' 

'Look, Angelina and Katie and Alicia didn't get on the team, and they're not making all this fuss...' 

'Angelina and Katie and Alicia aren't anyone's twin! I don't believe this, Fred. This is the ultimate betrayal.' 

'Oh, don't be like that...' sighed Fred. 

'Ron,' said George haughtily, 'could you please tell Fred that I'm not speaking to him anymore.' 

'He's not...' began Ron, but George had already got up and stalked out of the dormitory. 

Fred shrugged. 

  


* * * 

  


'But I don't  _want_  to be Seeker!' 

Minerva McGonagall realised that she was gesticulating wildly and quickly lowered her hands to her lap. She was sitting in the Staff Room with Rolanda Hooch, and they were going over the team list. 

'Rolanda, I thought you were going to be Seeker?' Minerva protested again, somewhat less stridently than before. 

'Well, I know we said that at first, but you actually played Seeker at school and I never did. And, not to brag, but I am a better Chaser than you, and goodness knows we need a good Chaser to balance out poor Filius and Irma...' 

'Well then, can't someone else be Seeker, apart from me?' 

'Think about it, Minerva. Remus and Severus are the only ones who have any experience as Beaters. I've seen Pomona play Seeker and she's dreadful. And Irma and Filius, let's face it, are just filling the numbers. So that leaves you and me, and like I said, I need to be a Chaser if we're to have any chance of not looking like total fools.' 

'Oh, well, you won't look like a fool, will you? Because you're not going to be marking the bloody Boy Who Lived, Youngest Seeker of the Century! I won't have a chance, Rolanda! I'm just going to embarrass myself, I know it.' 

'That's not the way to approach it, Minerva! Positive mental attitude, that's what you need. If you train right and don't worry so much, I'll bet you could show young Harry a thing or two. You just need to be properly motivated.' 

Minerva rolled her eyes. 

'Alright, since you've obviously got this all worked out, I'll do it. But, Rolanda, you don't seriously think we have a chance, do you? You do realise that the whole point of the exercise is to let the students beat us? There's no way we'll win - they're young and in peak physical condition!' 

'Age and experience can win over youthful enthusiasm!' cried Rolanda. 'All you need is a bit of faith!' 

'Nonsense! They're obviously going to beat us. We might as well be resigned, and just do our best to retain some shred of dignity on the day.' 

Rolanda frowned. This would not do. 

  


* * * 

  


The mood at the Gryffindor table as Harry, Hermione and assorted Weasleys sat down to breakfast was rather subdued. Fred and George were sitting as far away from one another as they possibly could. Ron and Harry didn't want to say anything for fear of sparking off another argument. Ginny was her usual, quiet self. Hermione, however, was not to be daunted by awkward silences. 

'So, is anyone thinking of doing something for the entertainments on the day of the Quidditch match?' 

Harry and Ron both winced, but neither Fred nor George reacted. 

'I was thinking about it,' said Ginny. 

'Ooh, me too,' said Hermione, 'what were you thinking of doing?' 

'I'm not really sure yet - something fun, and different. How about you?' 

'Well,' Hermione said, 'I was thinking about demonstrating some of the trickier potions that people seem to fail at again and again, and maybe I could help people get better marks in Potions!' 

'And how is that "entertainment"?' asked Ron, stabbing his soldier violently into his egg. 

'Well, it's certainly more entertaining than failing!' said Hermione, with a scowl. 

'So, Ron, are you going to do anything?' asked Ginny, neatly stopping the quarrel before it had a chance to begin. 

'Hadn't really thought,' Ron shrugged, 'I doubt it. Seems like too much hard work.' 

Hermione tutted. 

'You're Harry Potter, aren't you?' said a voice from behind them. 

They turned around to see a girl, somewhat short, with a rather large nose and two long, honey-coloured pigtails hanging down her back. She was wearing a Ravenclaw uniform and chewing on a piece of toast. 

'Yes,' said Harry, 'and you are..?' 

'Tilly Luker. You know? I'm on the Quidditch team? I wanted to see if you and Fred knew when we were going to practise...' 

Harry had been so distracted by the Gryffindor selections for the team that he hadn't even paused to consider the other five names on the list, and he realised that he wasn't even sure who else he would be playing with. 

'Oh, um, I hadn't really thought...' he said. 

'And we should find out which teachers will be taking which positions,' Tilly continued, 'so that we can plan an effective strategy. And we should start meeting regularly. Maybe we ought to pick a name for ourselves. Perhaps it would be a good idea to read up on some old Quidditch matches to get some ideas for new moves. And we should definitely research the techniques of the teachers we'll be marking, find their weaknesses. There's no time to lose.' 

'Um...I...' said Harry. 

'So, Harry, Fred, I'll see you down at the Quidditch pitch after dinner tonight. Don't worry, I'll tell the others,' Tilly finished, and before they could open their mouths to respond, she was running off down the hall, her pigtails bouncing as she went. 

'Reminds me of someone,' said Ron, with a sideways glance at Hermione. 

  


* * * 

  


'That was one weird girl,' said Ron, as he, Harry and Hermione walked to Transfiguration after breakfast, 'all that stuff about researching the teachers, finding their weaknesses?' 

'Yeah,' snorted Harry, 'I mean, no offense to them, but we're young and fit and we practise all the time. It's a foregone conclusion. There's no way the teachers could beat us, they're just too old and out of practise. It's going to be a walkover.' 

'Potter, stop dawdling and get to class!' snapped Professor McGonagall, from behind them. 

Harry and Ron made faces at one another. Had she been listening the whole time? 

It appeared she had - Professor McGonagall swept into the class and called them to attention with more than her usual briskness, and throughout the lesson she was short with Harry, criticising his work and asking him the most difficult questions. He was glad to escape at the end of the class. 

  


* * * 

  


That evening, after dinner, Harry and Fred headed down to the Quidditch pitch. Tilly was already there, hopping impatiently up and down. Her Ravenclaw teammate, Roger Davies, was there too. He shrugged embarrassedly at Harry and Fred; they grinned nervously back. A few minutes later, the two Slytherin players, Adrian Pucey and Caractacus Bole came out to join them, looking rather reluctant too. Zacharias Smith, a Hufflepuff in Harry's year, was the last to join them. 

'Well, isn't this  _nice_!' said Tilly. 

There was a murmur of unenthusiastic agreement. 

'Now, they haven't announced yet who will be playing which positions, and in any case I haven't quite finished my write-up on all the teachers, so I thought this evening we could just work on some basics, you know, passing, scoring, that sort of thing, and then tomorrow we can start talking strategy.' 

'Tomorrow?' asked Zacharias. 

'Yes, well, we only have a couple of weeks, so I think it's just as well if we try to practise every day.' 

She seemed so enthused about the idea that nobody quite wanted to correct her, and so it was that, after over two hours of mainly passing, Harry and Fred trudged back up to the Gryffindor tower having promised faithfully to turn up for more of the same every evening that week. 

  


* * * 

  


'Can you  _believe_  that Potter?' demanded Minerva McGonagall, sweeping into the Staffroom and throwing herself onto a chair. 

'Tea, Minerva?' asked Madam Hooch, the only other occupant, serenely. 

'Yes, please, Rolanda. Four sugars.' 

'Four? Something's got you riled up...' 

'It certainly has! Foregone conclusion? Too old? A  _walkover_?' 

'Deary me,' said Rolanda. 

'That Potter needs to learn some respect,' Minerva seethed. 

Rolanda made noises of agreement as she poured the tea. 

'I've asked the rest of the team to meet us here,' Minerva said as she took the tea. 

Sure enough, Madam Pince entered, nodded to them both and took a seat. 

'I hope this is important,' she said, 'I do so hate to leave the library at this time of night...' 

'It is important,' said Minerva firmly. 

Professor Sprout came in then. She had a potted plant under each arm, and she proceeded to set them on the table and prune them while they waited. 

Shortly, the whole team had arrived. Professor Snape was the last to enter and take his seat. 

'What's this all about, Minerva?' he asked. 'I have lots of marking to do, so I would appreciate it if you could make it quick.' 

'This,' said Minerva, 'is a council of war.' 

Professor Snape raised an elegant eyebrow. Professor Sprout giggled. 

'Do go on, Minerva,' said Professor Lupin. 

'The student Quidditch team seem to be under the impression that they will achieve an effortless victory over us,' she said, 'I heard them talking - they think we're old and useless!' 

'Well, we're none of us as young as we used to be...' began Professor Sprout. 

'And what difference does that make?' demanded Minerva, 'With age comes wisdom and cunning! They may be enthusiastic, but some of us have been playing Quidditch for decades!' 

'I thought the point of the exercise was to bring the students together by letting them beat us?' asked Professor Lupin, grinning broadly. 

'Wouldn't they be equally united in miserable, humiliating defeat?' asked Minerva. 

'And they would have learned an important lesson about respecting their elders...' mused Madam Pince. 

'I for one would like to see the smug smiles wiped of the faces of certain students,' said Professor Snape. 

Madam Hooch just smirked. Really, this was just too easy. 


	3. Chapter 3

'You know, I don't trust those two...' Professor Lupin muttered to Professor Flitwick, as the staff Quidditch team made their way across the Hogwarts grounds towards the gate, all clutching brooms. 

'They do seem to be getting rather... passionate about it,' agreed Flitwick. 

They watched Minerva McGonagall and Rolanda Hooch stride across the grass just ahead of them, gesturing wildly, clearly in animated conversation. Professor Snape and Madam Pince walked behind Lupin and Flitwick, both silent. Professor Sprout ambled along at the rear, stopping occasionally to inspect nettles. 

'Come on, come on, or it'll be dark before we get there!' cried Rolanda. 

'Where are we actually going?' asked Lupin, catching up to the two women. 'This seems a roundabout route to the Quidditch pitch...' 

'The Quidditch pitch?' asked Minerva. 'Are you joking, Remus? The students will be practising there. They'll just put us off. And besides, we don't want them to know our tactics.' 

'So where  _are_  we going, then?' 

'Hogsmeade, of course,' said Rolanda. 'We're going to practise in a nice, empty field where nobody will disturb us.' 

  


* * * 

  


Fred and Harry trudged wearily into the Gryffindor common room and slumped into chairs. 

'Good practise?' asked Hermione, who was lying on the floor on her stomach, practising a new bit of transfiguration on her bag. 

'Long,' said Harry. 'And that Tilly has some very firm ideas. Very bossy, in fact.' 

'Well, are they good ideas?' asked Ron, looking up from doodling in the margins of his Charms book. 

'Yeah, not bad actually. She's just so... forceful about it, is all. Bit intimidating.' 

There was a creak on the stairs from the boys' dormitories. George came down, and sat in a chair by the fire. 

'How's the Quidditch coming, Fred?' he said, casually. 

Fred's eyes widened and he turned to look at his twin. 

'Oh, not bad, you know, coming along,' he said, with equally studied carelessness. 'Um... what have you been up to?' 

'Oh, this and that, not a lot,' said George. 

There was a clattering, and Ginny came down from the dormitories, dressed in her outdoor clothes. 

'George, are you ready?' she asked. 

George jumped up and followed Ginny out of the portrait hole. Neither of them said a word to any of the others. 

'Now, what are they up to?' asked Fred. 

'Haven't you noticed,' said Hermione, 'that those two have been spending a lot of time together over the last couple of days?' 

'No,' said Fred, Harry and Ron together. 

' _Boys_ ,' sighed Hermione, and turned her attention back to her transfiguration. 

'But, Hermione, what are they doing?' asked Fred. 

'How should I know?' she asked. 'Ginny isn't telling, anyway.' 

  


* * * 

  


'Irma,' Rolanda explained patiently, for the seventh time that evening, 'there's no point you being up there if you aren't even going to try and catch the quaffle...' 

'Well, it's very high up here!' sniffled the usually-dignified librarian, her eyes misty with tears behind her glasses. 'I don't want to let go of the broom in case I fall!' 

'You're hovering four feet above the ground!' cried Minerva, doing a couple of loops on her own broom to relieve her frustration. 'You wouldn't be hurt!' 

'Whoever heard of a witch who was afraid of heights?' cried Rolanda. 'Filius is getting the hang of it, look!' 

And indeed, Professor Flitwick was zipping about the field after the quaffles that Professors Lupin and Snape were throwing for him to catch. Minerva had transfigured a couple of trees into goalposts, and Professor Sprout was flying steadily between them, ready to stop Filius' goals. Rolanda, of course, was having no problem with her flying, and Minerva, although she hadn't flown for years, had taken right to it again and was already doing complicated flips and loops. 

In fact, Irma was the only problem. She refused to go higher than five feet or so. She refused to even attempt letting go with one hand to catch the quaffle. She wouldn't move at more than a snail's pace. As now, she overbalanced slightly and tipped upside down. Her glasses fell off and she whimpered. 

Rolanda and Minerva exchanged glances as they went to turn her over and put her back safely on the ground. 

'This calls for something a little more... unconventional,' suggested Rolanda, as Minerva conjured a chair and settled the shaking librarian into it, making soothing noises. 

'I agree,' Minerva said, once Irma had quietened down a little. 'But what?' 

  


* * * 

  


'They're playing McGonagall as Seeker!' Tilly yelled into Harry's ear in the Great Hall the next morning, making him drop his toast in his juice. He fished it out, scowling, before turning to look at the sheet of parchment in Tilly's hand. 

'Well, she should be easy enough to beat,' he said, frowning at his sodden breakfast. 

'That's where you're wrong, Harry! She played Seeker in the school team for six years, and out of thirty matches, she caught the Snitch twenty-six times. That's an eighty-seven percent success rate, Harry.' 

'Yeah, but that must have been, like, fifty or sixty years ago...' 

'Flying is like riding a bike,' interjected Fred, sitting down beside Harry and taking the list from him. 'Once you've learned you never forget. McGonagall might be out of practice, but she's probably still not bad. Ooh, Lupin and Snape as Beaters... there's a match made in heaven...' 

'Bet they're enjoying working together...' Harry smirked. 

  


* * * 

  


The next evening, the teachers were to be found in a field in Hogsmeade again, training hard for the upcoming match. There were only four of them this evening, though. Rolanda and Minerva had taken Irma somewhere else for intensive training, and without their presence, the practice was suffering... 

'I don't see why I should do as you say,' Professor Snape said, hovering several feet above the ground and scowling. 

'I wasn't trying to give you an order,' said Remus Lupin calmly. 'It was just a suggestion.' 

'Well, it didn't sound like a suggestion. It sounded like you're trying to take over the team.' 

'That's ridiculous! Just because I don't want us to use out-of-date, obvious tactics, doesn't mean that I'm trying to take over.' 

'The Pavlov Defence is a tried and tested Beater move, and...' 

'They'll see it coming a mile off! We have to play it closer to the vest, try and confuse them...' 

'Well, I say that...' 

'I don't  _care_  what you say!' 

'You are the most...' 

'GENTLEMEN!' hollered Professor Sprout, touching down beside them and glaring from one to the other. 

Lupin looked sheepish, but Snape just glowered at her. 

'This is silly,' she said. 'And I won't have it. Either you two start working together, or I'll have you both in detention!' 

'Pomona, you can't give us detention, we're  _teachers_ ,' Lupin pointed out. 

'I gave you detention twenty years ago, Remus Lupin, and I could still do it today if I so chose! And I'm not sure you aren't still a little bit intimidated by your former Head of House...' 

'Don't tell Minerva!' Lupin cried, desperately. 

'I'm sure we can manage to resolve our differences without adding to Minerva's workload,' Snape added, a little too quickly. 

Sprout looked piercingly at them both, hands on her hips. 

'Just be sure that you do,' she said. 

Lupin and Snape stared at the floor. 

'Yes, Pomona,' they both said. 

  


* * * 

  


Fred and Harry trudged back up to the castle after their practice. 

'All those wiggly diagrams of hers make my eyes hurt,' Fred complained. 

'Yeah, me too,' said Harry. 'And all those exercises she makes us do... I'm so tired out I've barely managed to do any homework this week.' 

'Well, that's nothing new, is it? All you and Ron seem to do is put off your homework. At least this way you're filling the time with something useful.' 

'Yeah, I suppose so.' 

'I mean, that was a brilliant capture you made earlier! And Adrian scored a great goal, too. We're really starting to pull together...' 

'Weird, isn't it?' 

'Yeah, really weird...' 

They reached the bottom of the steps that led into the Entrance Hall. The doors opened, and George and Ginny exited. They stopped when they saw Fred and Harry. 

'Fred, and Harry,' said George stiffly. 'Hello.' 

'Alright, George, Ginny,' said Fred. 

'Ginny and I are going for a pleasant nature walk,' said George. 'As it is such a lovely evening.' 

Ginny rolled her eyes at him. 'Oh, yes, George, that's great. That makes it sound like nothing's up...' 

'What  _is_ up?' asked Harry. 

'That's for us to know and you to find out,' said Ginny, with a grin. 

'How was practice?' George asked. 

'It was good. We're not half bad as a team. Stop changing the subject - where do you two keep running off too?' 

'You'll know soon,' said George. 'Now, off with you. Back to the tower. You both look like you could do with a bath.' 

Fred and Harry stared at George and Ginny as they hurried down the steps and out into the grounds. 

  


* * * 

  


The next morning, at breakfast, Professors Snape and Lupin sat as far away from one another as they could possibly manage, and shot glares at one another down the length of the table, until Professor Sprout noticed and gave them both such a disgusted look that they turned their attention to their breakfasts immediately. 

Minerva wasn't in a position to berate them for their lack of team spirit - she and Rolanda were sitting side by side, heads together, deep in secretive discussion. 

'Do you think it'll work?' Minerva asked, quietly. 

'Bound to. It's got to. It worked last night, didn't it?' 

'Well, eventually.' 

'But it has to work right away on the day or there's no point!' 

'Don't panic! It'll be fine. We'll try it a few more times before the day to make sure nothing goes wrong. Irma will fly, and she might even score a goal. It's going to be fine.' 

'Well, I hope your right,' Minerva sighed, loading her pancake up with syrup and taking a huge bite. 

'Aren't I always?' asked Rolanda, seriously. 


End file.
